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We initially spoke with Dr. Drew Ramsey last fall for our October trend report, “Health & Happiness: Hand in Hand” (see Q&A here). We checked in again with the Columbia University assistant clinical professor of psychiatry while researching one of our 10 Trends for 2013, The Super Stress Era. As stressors big and small mount […]

One of our 10 Trends for 2013 is the idea that we’re entering a Super Stress Era, with stressors mounting and multiplying, and stress becoming recognized as a significant medical and cost issue. In researching this trend, we spoke with Kathleen Hall, founder and CEO of The Stress Institute and The Mindful Living Network. Hall […]

Our October trend report, “Health & Happiness: Hand in Hand,” examines the idea that happiness is increasingly coming to be seen as a core component of health and wellness. As part of our research, we spoke with Dr. Drew Ramsey, assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at Columbia University, who is one of psychiatry’s leading proponents […]

Our October trend report, “Health & Happiness: Hand in Hand,” examines the idea that happiness is increasingly coming to be seen as a core component of health and wellness. As part of our research, we spoke with Corey Keyes, a sociology professor at Emory University in Atlanta, who believes happiness is not just positive emotions […]

In researching our October trend report, “Health & Happiness: Hand in Hand,” we spoke with positive psychology expert Tal Ben-Shahar, who teaches at the Interdisciplinary Center in Israel and consults and lectures around the world. Ben-Shahar, who previously taught popular Harvard University courses on positive psychology and the psychology of leadership, is the author of […]

People are coming to see happiness as a core component of health and wellness, according to a survey we conducted for our October trend report, “Health and Happiness: Hand in Hand.” Almost two-thirds of respondents said being a happy person is an important part of being healthy—a far higher percentage than those who chose several […]

Health & Happiness: Hand in Hand (October 2012) from JWTIntelligence Happiness, an age-old pursuit and a subject tackled by philosophers, theologians and artists, is increasingly coming to be seen as a core component of health and wellness. This month’s trend report takes a look at the rising notion that a healthier person is a happier […]

Advertising is getting increasingly real-time as well as more interactive. For instance, in April, a trailer for Prometheus on Channel 4 in the U.K. asked viewers to tweet the hashtag #areyouseeingthis; during the next commercial break, a spot showcased some of the resulting tweets. A new Mercedes campaign in the U.K. for its A-Class vehicle, […]

Foodie-ism is filtering down to the youngest generation (even as kid favorites like grilled cheese and cupcakes permeate adult food culture) as kids become more interested in, and involved with, the foods they eat. And a kid foodie subculture is emerging, with some turning their interest into fledgling culinary careers. Thirteen-year-old Flynn McGarry runs a […]

As we forecast in one of our “10 Trends for 2010,” the eco spotlight is increasingly turning to packaging, and it’s an area where all brands will need to find room for improvement. For brands positioned as green-friendly, the pressure is on not only to use sustainable packaging materials but to convey the brand’s values […]

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In a piece on an 82-year-old going online for the first time, The Washington Post called attention to a rising issue—the divide between those who use the Internet and those who don’t (13% in the U.S., and 41% among senior citizens).

Call it progress or just laziness—apps are popping up that harness our small change and put it to better use. Acorns, dubbed “the Tinder of investing,” links to a user’s debit or credit card and rounds up to the nearest dollar on every purchase. The app then takes that spare change and invests it in a portfolio of the user’s choice—portfolios range from low to high risk (and reward). Or users can opt to let Acorns choose for them based on their age, goals, income and other factors. Meanwhile, apps like Qapital and Digit facilitate regular small transfers from checking to savings, and banks themselves are getting on the incremental savings bandwagon. (See: Bank of America’s Keep the Change and Wells Fargo’s Way2Save.)

Digital platforms are already integrated into our every waking minute—now they’re moving into our sleep. A spate of apps and devices aim to aid and facilitate better sleep, from ambient lamps to a lucid dreaming sleep mask to an app that wakes you up with a phone call from a stranger.

Hotel giant Starwood has bought in to the sharing economy. The group, which owns W Hotels, St. Regis and Sheraton, has announced a partnership with car service Uber in which every dollar spent by a guest on an Uber car earns points toward free rooms and other perks.

The worlds of science, gastronomy and art are continuing to cross-pollinate—from edible conceptual art to molecular gastronomy “lab cafés” to synesthetic dining events. Café ArtScience in Cambridge, Mass., is a recent example. Opened late last year by David Edwards, a Harvard engineering professor, the café serves whiskey “fogs” through a special carafe that turns the liquor into vapor (which means consumers don’t take in any of the calories and feel none of the intoxicating effects).

As travelers continue to seek out authentic and unique experiences, hospitality brands keep raising the bar on hyper-localized offerings and exceptional access. Aman, for instance, is introducing a phinisi-style sailing ship in Indonesia, marrying the brand’s ultra-luxe sensibility with regional tradition. With an outdoor lounge and bar, the option to travel by motor, and air-conditioned cabins, the ship brings every modern comfort to an age-old means of navigating the Indonesian archipelago. Another Aman property, meanwhile, offers a dip into paleontology: Guests at Amangiri in southern Utah can join an official dig at the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, working alongside fossil experts for a half-day. The cost of getting one’s hands dirty starts at $600. (Resulting Instagram images: priceless.) —Marian Berelowitz

Adidas’ new Confirmed app cleverly harnesses the fervor of collectors who normally line up for limited-edition shoes, moving fans onto a mobile platform. App users create an account, then get push notifications when hot new releases are on the way. Interested buyers in a given metro area—only New York City at launch—indicate their size and, if approved, receive details on where and when to pick up the shoes. An Adidas exec calls it a “virtual line.” In addition to collecting data on these super-fans, the app lets Adidas control which influencers get various styles, drives traffic to selected stores, builds additional buzz and cuts out secondary-market sellers armed with bots that secure advance orders. —Marian Berelowitz

Kids will slide through a “Tunnel of Terror” and get slimy on “Mount Mud” in Tough Mudder’s new obstacle course for the 7-12 set. The endurance-challenge purveyor is partnering with European soft drink brand Britvic on Fruit Shoot Mini Mudder, with events planned for the U.S., the U.K. and Ireland. The concept caters to parents looking to pry kids away from screens and get them moving—there’s now a CrossFit offshoot for kids, starting with preschoolers—in ways that are challenging and fun.

Not long ago, a collaboration between two rival companies would have been seen as a counterintuitive and perhaps desperate measure. In 2015, however, BMW’s partnership with Volkswagen on fast-charging electric vehicle stations makes the automakers look self-confident, open and serious about sustainability and the common good. Continue reading “Rivals joining forces” »